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Grand opening of New Seventh-day Adventist Church

Nancy Rockey

For the Ruidoso News

Posted:
07/18/2013 01:23:13 PM MDT

Courtesy
The grand opening of New Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ruidoso Downs will be at 10:45 a.m. Saturday (null)

Florence Harris Parker, charter member of the Ruidoso Downs Seventh-day Adventist Church since its original founding in 1971, is thrilled to finally be able to worship in the newly completed sanctuary. Saturday marks the grand opening of the new facility, located at 202 E. Parkway Blvd. in Ruidoso Downs The special worship service begins at 10:45 a.m. Texico Conference officials will be in attendance along with invited pastors of area churches, and guests, as well as family and friends of the congregants. Luncheon will be served following the hour-long service.

A special Old Fashioned Hymn Sing will be held at 7 p.m. with everyone invited to sing along and enjoy several special musical presentations as well.

The first recorded Seventh-day Adventist congregation in the area was in Angus, N.M., in the 1920s. Herbert Lee Trayler was the son of the known leader of the group who lived and met in Angus. The gym at the Capitan School is named for Traylor, who was a teacher there.

In the early 1940s, Parker's eldest brother, Everett Lohman, moved from Keene, Texas, to Ruidoso Downs, and opened a mop-and-broom factory there. There was a local sawmill that supplied him with lumber for the handles. He would travel to Portales for the corn for the brooms he manufactured. In 1945, Parker's family moved from Colorado to assist in the manufacturing plant. Parker and her mother formed a regular Bible class and story-telling group for children on Saturday afternoons.

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Because there was no formal congregation of Adventists locally, Parker occasionally worshipped with the Baptist Church and alternately attended the Roswell and Alamogordo Seventh-day Adventist churches.

In 1971, an Adventist company was formed by Pastor Joseph Reynolds, pastor in Alamogordo. The group met in the Presbyterian Church in Ruidoso. In 1973, the little congregation purchased the land where the new church facility is now located, but because there were no funds as yet to build a church, members and visitors met at the home of Parker and her late husband, Jake Harris. Occasionally the group would go to Alamogordo or Roswell to worship.

In 1977, the group increased in number following a series of meetings for young people.

In the early 80s, the old building was purchased in Roswell, and moved to the current site. It now serves temporarily as a fellowship hall. Members sacrificed financially and as a result of a generous gift of a metal building, given by Parker's brother, the new structure began its creation. Today the church has a beautiful stucco exterior and fully appointed interior. Several weeks ago, the building inspector gave the church its final occupancy permit.

Since 2005, the congregation has been blessed with three different clergy, beginning with William Kasper, now pastoring in Fairbanks, Alaska. Following Kasper, Andrew Spooner led the congregation, and he and his family are now in attendance at Andrews University Seminary, in Berrien Springs, Mich. Currently, Pastor Chuck Workman oversees the church, while Local Elder Manuel Moya leads the congregation, along with Billy Parker, head deacon. A retired clergy-team are members of the church, and occasionally provide preaching services.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a protestant denomination, with Jesus Christ as its center point, and His sacrifice for all mankind, its major theme. They differ from mainline protestant denominations mainly in that they worship on the Biblical Sabbath, ordained at creation, reiterated in the Ten Commandments and practiced by Jesus when He was upon this earth.

The Ruidoso Downs Congregation meets every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. for the Church at Study and at 10:45 a.m. for divine worship. All are invited to attend both for the grand opening and on any Saturday you choose.

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